From Game of Thrones stars to comic icon Stan Lee and British actor and comedian Nick Frost, the international guests at this year’s Middle East Film & Comic Con (MEFCC) would peak the interest of any geek worth his or her Stormtrooper helmet. But the ultimate strength of a pop culture event, and an insurer of its longevity, is in the number of local and regional artists it can boast of. And there are many.
Here are some of the artists and personalities you should not miss at the three-day event this weekend:
What: Game developing workshop
Who: Emirati games developer Fakhra Al Mansouri
When: Saturday, April 9, 4pm.
Al Mansouri came into the spotlight after she launched her game development company, Hybrid Humans, last year and released her first game Hop Hop Away. At the MEFCC the 29-year-old is going to share her story on how she went from a gaming-obsessed teenager to creating her own games. Hybrid Humans will also debut their second mobile game, called Who Lurks, at the event. “It’s a single device use game where one person is an alien, and you have to figure our which one is,” she says.
What: Meet edgy UAE brand Burqa Abori
Who: Emirati designer Abeer Mohammad.
When: All days
Emirati entrepreneur Mohammad started designing her edgy burqas in 2012 in the hopes of reviving what she says was a dying tradition. “Girls wore it from the time they hit puberty for the rest of their lives. But somewhere along the way, they ditched the burqa and started wearing the niqab (the cloth covering the entire face). I wanted to bring the burqa back, at least on special occasions,” she says. The Emirati-Canadian says her mixed heritage allows her to push herself creatively.
Mohammad will be at the event with a special collection of masks she’s created especially for MEFCC.
What: The Worthy interactive booth
Who: Emirati filmmaker Ali Mostafa
When: All days
An interactive booth inspired by the upcoming post-apocalyptic thriller will give fans the chance to find out if they are ‘worthy’ by taking part in a series of challenges based on the film. Director Mostafa (City of Life, From A to B) will also be present at the event throughout the weekend to promote the film and to take part in a panel discussion on Saturday, April 9, from 11-12pm, along with the film’s cast and producer. A brand new teaser of the film will also be shown. The Worthy is scheduled to release this year.
What: Premiere of short film Saraab
Who: Emirati filmmaker Mustafa Abbas and director Salma Serry
When: Friday, April 8, at 9pm.
Writer and director Abbas trades in his mic for the producer’s chair for this 10-minute psychological thriller. Saraab, which means Mirage in Arabic, is a look at schizophrenia. “It’s about a married couple who start to question their respective realities. As it goes on, you start to wonder whose head we are in. It’s very dark,” says Abbas, who wrote the film, which was self-funded by himself and director Serry. Saraab travels to the Cannes Short Film Corner in May.
“I think the MEFCC is the best place for this film to premiere at because it’s very twisted. The audience is just right for this kind of film,” adds Abbas, best known for his breakout 2007 film, 100 Miles, the crime thriller which won him an award at the Emirates Film Competition that year.
What: Low budget short filmmaking workshop
Who: UAE-based filmmaker Faisal Hashmi
When: Friday, April 8, 4-5pm.
With eight short films in the bag, Hashmi knows what it’s like to stretch your resources to make a film, sometimes with almost no money. “I will be sharing my experiences and show how you can achieve a good story on film out of the limited means you have, and how those situations can actually make you more creative.”
Hashmi’s last project Sleight, a short horror film, premiered at the MEFCC last year and has gone on to be screened at horror film festivals across the US.
What: Trailer premiere of Emirati anime film Empire of N
Who: Emirati animator Khaled Bin Hamad
When: Saturday, April 9, 12pm.
In 2013, Emirati illustrator and artist Khaled Bin Hamad launched Nasser’s Secrets, an anime series with an Emirati twist, at the MEFCC. This year, he’s taking it a step forward by releasing a trailer, called Empire of N, which will premiere at the comic con. The Abu Dhabi-born artist, who was also the official cartoonist for Dubai’s Expo2020 bid, is hoping it would be snapped up by potential buyers at the comic con.
“We really want to turn this into a movie or TV series,” he tells tabloid! “So let’s see how it goes.”
Bin Hamad and his team will also take part in a panel discussion to discuss Empire of N.
What: Improv comedy workshop + Dubomedy Zone
Who: Mina Liccione and Ali Al Sayed from UAE comedy company Dobumedy.
When: Thursday, April 7, 3pm + All days
Are you a fan of role-playing or the TV show Whose Line is it Anyways?. Dubomedy co-founder and actress Liccione will conduct a workshop to help you learn the basics of improv comedy or take your skills to the next level. There will also be a Dubomedy’s Zone complete with a beatboxer, a drummer from the show STOMP, funny T-shirts, dancers, comedy games with prizes throughout the weekend including a chance to win free tickets to see Lebanese comedian Nemr Abou Nassar Live in Dubai. Liccione and co-founder Al Sayed are also the official MCs for the main stage at the event.
The details:
What: Middle East Film & Comic Con (Mefcc)
Where: Dubai World Trade Centre
When: April 7-9
Tickets: Dh100 for single-day pass. Dh130 on the door. Go to virginmegastore.me
Website: www.mefcc.com.
